ISLAMABAD, Jan 10: Senate's Standing Committee on Defence Chairman Nisar Memon has empowered the nominated committee members to investigate matters related to various deals of sales and purchases by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).

Talking to a group of journalists at the Parliament Lodges here on Monday, Mr Memon said a committee member, Senator Rukhsana Zuberi, had conveyed to him that the PIA had submitted incomplete information to various queries sent by the committee members with reference to multi-million dollar deals struck by the national airline.

Mr Memon said if the PIA did not cooperate with the designated committee members regarding furnishing of information relating to sale of Airbus A300B4, Boeing 747-200 and purchases of 777, a full committee meeting would be called on the issue.

"If it (PIA) merits a full committee meeting, we would do that," he said. He said the government was committed to transparency in governance, and subordinate government departments and organizations had to submit to the supremacy of the parliament.

He said the committee would look into various organizations under the defence ministry and with the cooperation of the opposition set a strategic direction for the organizations.

Replying to a question whether the Senate committee would look into the sale of Airbus A300B4 aircraft by the PIA, the chairman said if members wished to raise the issue, he would not obstruct the move after the committee had gone through its agenda of looking into the matters of the defence production division.

Clarification